Brewers Take 1-0 Lead In NLDS With 4-1 Win Over Diamondbacks

W: Yovani Gallardo (1-0)
L: Ian Kennedy (0-1)
S: John Axford (1)

HR: Prince Fielder (1), Ryan Roberts (1)

MVP: Yovani Gallardo (+.434)
LVP: Corey Hart (-.064)

Win Expectancy Graph and Star of the Game Voting

I have to say, this went about as well as any of us could've hoped for.

Yovani Gallardo was the story today, putting together arguably the greatest pitching performance in Brewer playoff history. He pitched eight innings today and allowed just one run (a solo homer by Ryan Roberts) on four hits, walking one and striking out a Brewer playoff record nine. The Diamondbacks did him a favor by running into an out in the first inning, but from then on he was outstanding.

Meanwhile, the Brewers picked up single scores on a Jerry Hairston Jr sac fly and a Jonathan Lucroy single, and picked up two huge insurance runs when Prince Fielder took Ian Kennedy deep in the seventh inning. As Plunk Everyone noted in the comments of today's game thread, Fielder's homer was the 15th postseason long ball in Brewer franchise history. He also had the 14th.

John Axford retired the side in order in the ninth for the first playoff save of his career.

This is only the second win in game one of a playoff series in Brewer franchise history, and the first since the opener of the 1982 World Series.